About

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Role Description

Mercor is partnering with a leading AI research group to engage experienced software engineers in a high-impact project focused on training and refining large language models (LLMs). As a Software Engineering Specialist (Human Data Team) , you’ll help shape the next generation of AI systems by curating advanced coding datasets, benchmarking model outputs, and enhancing model reasoning about programming practices.

This role involves:

• Collaborating with technical teams to teach AI models how humans write, debug, and optimize code across multiple programming languages.
• Annotating and evaluating AI-generated code for efficiency, scalability, and reliability, ensuring it meets enterprise-level software development standards.
• Contributing data in text, voice, or video formats to help models learn from human expertise.

This is a full-time role for experienced engineers passionate about applying their coding and problem-solving skills to advance frontier AI systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Curate code examples, provide detailed solutions, and make precise corrections across programming languages such as Python, JavaScript (including ReactJS), C/C++, Java, Rust, and Go .
• Evaluate and refine AI-generated code, ensuring adherence to industry standards for efficiency, scalability, and reliability.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance AI-driven coding solutions and benchmark LLM performance.
• Support training initiatives by improving annotation tools, workflows, and data quality.
• Contribute to developing coding tasks and datasets that challenge model reasoning and technical understanding.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional back-end development experience.
• Proficiency in multiple server-side languages such as Python and Node.js.
• Strong experience designing and implementing RESTful APIs and GraphQL endpoints.
• Hands-on experience with both relational databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL) and non-relational databases (MongoDB, Redis).
• Deep understanding of database optimization, indexing, and query performance.
• Strong grasp of web security principles, including authentication, authorization, and data protection.
• Experience with asynchronous processing and background job systems.
• Proficiency with testing frameworks for unit, integration, and end-to-end testing.

Preferred Qualifications

• Adaptable and detail-oriented professional with strong logical reasoning and problem-solving skills .
• Experience with containerization technologies (Docker) .
• Familiarity with front-end technologies such as TypeScript or React to facilitate effective cross-functional collaboration.

More About the Opportunity

• Location: Remote or in-person (Palo Alto, CA); in-office requires 5 days/week.
• Schedule: 9:00am–5:30pm PST for the first two weeks; then aligned with your local timezone.
• Technical requirements: Reliable high-speed internet connection, camera, and microphone for virtual collaboration.
• U.S. applicants: Must reside outside of Wyoming and Illinois.
• Visa sponsorship: Not available.

Compensation & Contract Terms

• $45–100/hour for U.S.-based professionals, depending on experience and location.
• International pay rates available upon request.
• Classified as an independent contractor position.
• Payments issued regularly for services rendered.
• Hourly pay is part of a broader rewards structure; benefits vary by country.

Application Process

• Submit your resume and statement of exceptional work .
• Complete a 15-minute screening interview .
• If selected, proceed to:
  • A technical deep-dive discussing your software engineering and annotation experience.
  • A take-home coding or annotation challenge .
  • A team meet-and-greet with project collaborators.
• The interview process is designed to be completed within one week .